Dec 15

This week has been another great one. But first things first, you will
be impressed and or appalled at my frugality this week. My sheets, I
realized, are to the point where I can separate parts using only two
fingers. They have been washed a couple times I guess... I think I
have had them since I was 14? Not sure though.  My slacks right now
are also wearing them and starting to split at the seams, so I am
going to by some new ones. So, moral of the story, even though I like
fancy things and often spend to much on them I will love them until
their last breath, and often even after. You learned that with my
Zuriks 😊 Dad, you will also be proud to know it hurts me in the
insides to throw away food, even if it's gross.

Anyway, on to things that actually matter. This past Friday we had a
"Christmas Conference" aka the whole mission gets together and we eat
and have a devotional. It was great. I learned a lot. Maybe better
said, I felt a lot. Particularly about a few scriptures and stories
that Steve Studdard shared. He is a two time stake president, mission
president and was THE mission representative on the preach my gospel
creation committee, which is cool.
😄 One of the scriptures he shared that impacted me the most was D&C
123:17, where it says--let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our
power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see
the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed. I really loved
that. It helped me put in to perspective my work and my necessitates,
especially with relationship to the context of that scripture. I
recently had some reflection time on the word still, and what that
means, and how it feels. I think I had one of those moments last
night.

Last night we went to the temple visitors center with Elizabeth and
Hector who were recently baptized. We planned a little in advance and
invited her whole family. She is the grandma/matriarch of a CLAN. We
have done MANY things over the past months to try and get her sons and
their families involved with the gospel with some successes and many
failures. We last night left to the temple just us four with hopes
that he others who "were coming late" (which usually means they don't
bother coming at all) would follow behind us soon. It turned out well.
We hoped and prayed and crossed our fingers before the end of the
night there was a group of sixteen people of the Barrillas clan
walking around the temple. They asked questions they felt great, they
loved the family time, and they were so happy they chose to come. Even
though there were many other things that fell through at the temple
that we had planned and the clan was missing one of the sons and a
daughter in law I felt "still." Which has come to mean to me: being in
peace, a sense of understanding, happiness and the recognition of
God's enormity in our lives.  It was a good night.

Get your "still" moment today! It only takes doing cheerfully in faith
all you can do for a very long time! But, it's worth it.

Love//

Elder Bigelow

Ps. Today I cut my hair ALL by myself. It looks good on the front...I
hope it isn't too bad on back. Mirrors can only do so much.

My sheets, I'm going to go buy some cool ones right now